Eating a balanced diet is the most practical and inexpensive of all beauty regimes and weight loss programs, and with the most long-lasting positive effects too. All you need to do is eat the right kind of foods and in the right quantity. Balanced nutrition is an answer to those who want to lose weight, stay healthy, be stronger and naturally beautiful. So, take this time to learn about the right composition of healthy nutrition.
Carbohydrates
There are two types of carbohydrates – fast carbs and slow carbs. Fast carbs, as the name suggests, are the ones that get transformed to fats the fastest, while slow carbs are transformed into energy and have high fibre content that helps regulate the body’s bowel movement. Some examples of the fast carbs are white bread, sweeteners, candy, soda, mashed potatoes and chips, white rice, etc. Slow Carbs aid healthy nutrition and can be found in whole wheat pasta and bread, brown rice, oats, lentils, and barley. These foods provide our body with the energy that it needs in order to carry on with all the activities of the day. A balanced diet should have one-third of slow carbs each meal.
Fats
Most people would cringe upon hearing this word. They believe all fats do is to add more flaps. However, fats also serve to protect our heart, liver, kidney, etc. They carry fat-soluble vitamins around our body, as well as lubricate our joints. Foods with a good source of fats are red meat, seafood, nuts, milk, and all kinds of oils. An ideal consumption of fats per day for healthy nutrition should be at around 40 to 65 grams only.
However, be aware that there are two types of fats: bad fat and good fat. Bad fat (saturated fat) is mainly found in full-fat dairy products and meat. Over-consumption can often lead to undesirable consequences such as high cholesterol levels and heart associated diseases. It should, therefore, be reduced as much as possible. Good fat (unsaturated fat) mainly comes from nuts, seeds and fatty fish. Unsaturated fats are much more beneficial for your organism.
Proteins
In order to get healthy nutrition from protein, your daily meal should have 50 to 175 grams of it. It is found in high quantity in chicken, milk, fish, eggs and other milk products. Protein’s main job is to build and repair body cells. It also plays an important role in a balanced diet because it assists the body in losing unnecessary fats and it is a good source of antibodies that shields the body from infections.
Fibre
The advocate for healthy digestion is what fibre is popular for in the world of healthy nutrition. Fibre is naturally found in beetroots, cucumbers, and carrots. If eaten before each meal, it will make the stomach feel half full, thus preventing us from overeating. Other sources of fibre are barley, brown rice, nuts, and legumes. A balanced diet should always have vegetables because they are also good sources of fibre. Just be careful not to overcook them, because doing so makes the veggies lose its fibre contents.
Vitamins and Minerals
Other important game players in a balanced diet are vitamins and minerals. This is because they are responsible for making our body utilize the energy it receives from proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. This dynamic duo plays a very important role in healthy nutrition because it is highly responsible in the growth and development of the body and regulation of our hormones. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals.
Water
Water is the most essential part of a balanced diet and kind of healthy nutrition that our body needs. It does not matter if you have consumed the required daily amount of protein, carbohydrates, or vitamins and minerals if the body does not get its required daily intake of water.
They all work together!
All of these and other nutrients will be put to waste as a consequence. This is the reason why drinking eight to ten glasses a day is a must in a balanced diet. Do not just drink water only when you are thirsty. If the body is not properly hydrated, your skin will lose its glow, your joints will start to hurt and your muscles will contract.
As you can see, no nutrient can work alone in providing the body with healthy nutrition, which is why a balanced diet is the best way to go if you really want to look good and be free from those unwanted extra pounds.
Building your basic nutrition plan
Deciding what to eat should be part of a basic nutrition plan, which is a guideline of the foods that should be eaten. There are so many different types of foods to choose from and some have more value than others, whereas some have no value at all.
Most people are becoming aware of the importance food has on their well being. Indeed, there are many books and articles out there to help obtain optimum nutrition which can improve your life all around. There are four food groups you can follow which will give you basic nutrition guidelines as well as the serving amounts.
First Group:
Food such as red meat, poultry, fish and legumes which one should have at least 3 servings a day. This group mainly consists of protein with minimal fat. Other food types that are high in protein is eggs, peanut butter, and soya.
Second Group:
Includes all your dairy products which contain protein as well as calcium. Second group’s products should constitute at least 4 servings a day. This group includes milk, cheese, and yoghurt – basically anything that contains milk. Cottage cheese has a high content of serotonin which can affect mood, such as depression in low levels of serotonin. Next are fruit and vegetables which contain essential vitamins and trace elements, as well as carbohydrates for energy, potassium and fibre.
Third Group:
Basic good nutrition is found in fruits which have a high content of vitamin C and vitamin A. It is far healthier to eat raw vegetables because when you cook vegetables you lose a lot of the nutritional value. Foods such as whole wheat bread and pasta, cereal, and brown rice are included in this group too as they contain complex carbohydrates. If talking in numbers, The average 1,800-calorie diet should contain between 210 and 290 grams of carbohydrates per day.
Forth Group:
The next group consists of essential fats and oils and is found in foods such as cream, butter, unsaturated oils such as olive oil and others and contain a lot of calories. On average, a 1,800-calorie diet should include between 40 and 65 grams of fat each day. However, be aware of whether you consume more bad and good fats.
Conclusion
If you are looking for basic good nutrition then adhere to the four nutrition basic groups described above and remember to look up the calorie content.
There is really no excuse for not eating properly and you should not have to take any additional vitamin supplements. If you are eating a well-balanced diet which includes most meats, fruits, and vegetables, they have all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to sustain and maintain optimal performance.
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